Roasted Brussels Sprouts

When I watched Ree and Bobby go at it, I couldn't take my eyes off those brussels sprouts.  And I'm not even a huge sprouts lover!   Within a week, I tried them.

...  but I didn't love them.  I mean, the roasted brussels sprouts were good, and I especially liked the crunchy burst of the pomegranate arils.  Unfortunately the lime zest completely overwhelmed things (maybe I had a large lime?) and where was the vanilla butter??? 

I couldn't just drop the idea, so I tried again, with my own twists.  It was definitely good; however, next time I'd try to up the vanilla flavor even more as it was still a little lost.   Speaking of lost, I accidentally deleted my pictures of the finished dish, so use your imagination!

Roasted Brussles & Squash w/Pomegranate Seeds
adapted from Bobby Flay
serves 2-4, depending on how much you like your veggies :)

4c trimmed, halved brussels sprouts
4c cubed squash (~1/2"), I used a mix of buttercup and butternut
2T coconut oil, melted
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
zest of 1 orange
1/2c pomegranate seeds (or more)
1T vanilla butter*
1/4c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375deg.  Toss brussels sprouts and squash with coconut oil, salt and pepper, then spread out on cookie sheet.  Roast for ~45min, until soft and beginning to brown/caramelize.

Meanwhile, zest orange into a large bowl.  Add pomegranate seeds and butter.  When squash and sprouts are cooked, add to bowl and toss to combine and melt butter.  Serve, topped with chopped pecans.

*I made using the seeds of 1 vanilla bean and 4T good quality butter



Has there been a recipe you thought was a winner that fell a little flat?  Or do you have a favorite, no-fail brussels sprouts recipe?